1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cleanable condensate traps, and in particular to a cleanable condensate trap for use with air cooling devices such as, for example, air conditioners and heat pumps.
2. Description of the Related Art
Air cooling units for buildings and houses typically include an air-handling portion, located inside the building, where cold heat exchanging tubes are contacted with warm building air to cool and dehumidify the air which is then circulated throughout the building. As the air is cooled and dehumidified in the air-handling portion, condensation is collected and conveyed away from the air-handling portion through tubing to, for example, a drain. As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,686,662 to Smith, the drain tube commonly includes a trap portion.
It is useful to provide a trap in the drain tube to create a fluid seal between the air in the cooling system and external air. However, these traps, which are made from, for example, 3/4 inch tubing, can become clogged by mold, mildew, dirt, etc. If the clogged condition of the condensate trap is undetected, liquid collects in the air-handling portion and the air cooling unit does not adequately dehumidify the building air. More importantly, the water which collects in the air-handling portion can overflow and damage drywall, ceilings, etc. in the building. Frequently, repair and painting are required due to water stain damage caused by the overflowing liquid. Additionally, since the tubing used to make these drains is of a small diameter, it is difficult to reach the trap with a snake for unclogging the trap. Consequently, a clogged trap must be removed (i.e., by sawing the pipe on either side of the trap) and a new trap must be inserted. Replacing these traps is time consuming and also does not solve the clogging problem since the new trap is not prevented from becoming clogged.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,156,907 to King discloses a cleanable sewer trap which contains a cleaning port to allow cleaning of the trap without interfering with an inlet pipe to the trap. The trap of King is not transparent and is buried underground; therefore clogging cannot be detected until liquid overflow at the source occurs. Additionally, King does not recognize or solve any of the problems associated with air cooling systems addressed by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,208 to McIlroy discloses a transparent trap for detecting a clogged condition thereof. The trap of McIlroy must be removed from the associated drainage tubing to be unclogged which can be messy and inconvenient. Additionally, McIlroy does not recognize or solve any of the problems associated with air cooling systems addressed by the present invention.